


The Unnecessarily Annoying and Coy Smile of Julian Larson

by daintylemonsquare



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Bailey and Clark being caught in the middle, Julian being a shithead, Logan and Derek being dumbasses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27831127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daintylemonsquare/pseuds/daintylemonsquare
Summary: Julian keeps getting gifts from someone but he won't tell his friends who it is.
Relationships: Julian Larson-Armstrong/Clark Sawyer
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	The Unnecessarily Annoying and Coy Smile of Julian Larson

Logan frowned at the package that was handed to him that wasn’t their usual shipment of coffee at the entrance of Stuart House. It wasn’t that it was unruly or unwieldy. It was suspicious. Julian’s name was tacked on the label. An envelope was taped to the front. On one corner was a heart, penciled in. A fan, Logan figured. Turning it in his hand, it felt like fabric. He opened it just in case it had something creepy in it so he could just dispose of it. But, in the end, it was a sweater. Soft and jewel toned with some filigree on the sleeves. Logan didn’t investigate further.

He huffed and took the package up to Julian’s room. Julian was busy at his desk when Logan dropped it in front of him. Julian jumped. “What the fuck, Logan?!”

Logan snorted. “Looks like a fan sent you a special treat here. Don’t you have a PO box somewhere where this stuff gathers dust in or something?”

“First of all, no. I discourage people from sending me anything. They’re better off tweeting me or whatever.” Julian picked it up. “You opened it?”

Logan narrowed his eyes. “Fuck off. I was checking if it was decent. You’re welcome for protecting you.”

“I’ll tell the land of your wonderful deeds, m’lord.” Julian bowed from his seat. “Thanks. Now go away. I’m trying to prepare for an audition.”

“Okay, whatever.” Logan turned around. Before he could close the door, he said, “Good luck.”

“Don’t need it.”

“Then I hope you fuck up.”

“Leave!” Julian threw a pen at the door. Logan laughed.

The next morning was a weekend but there were still Stuart boys in the same position they were in the night before. Logan wasn’t one of those boys. His therapist told him that he needed to sleep more. His grades weren’t as high. Emotionally, he was doing somewhat better. Though he was inclined to think it was the new therapist altogether than the seven hours of sleep.

He walked up to Derek who was staring at the distance, his fingers covered in highlighter stains. Another highlighter was on his ear. Logan made coffee. When the smell of the brew began to waft throughout the kitchen, Derek stirred.

“Oh good, you’re alive,” Logan said.

Derek grunted in response.

They watched the sun rise brighter and higher in silence. Logan gave Derek coffee, made his own, then Julian’s. Like clockwork, Julian arrived with hair out of its styled disarray. Julian reached for his mug before greeting them. They continued to watch the morning happen, with random Stuarts flitting about, looking for more coffee. Logan couldn’t help but notice the silver filigree that webbed around the hem of Julian’s sleeves and crawled up the fabric.

Before Logan could comment on it, Julian reached his fourth sip, where he said, “If you need me, I’ll be in my room. Fell asleep on top of my lit homework.” He turned around. On the back of his sweater, embossed in gleaming thread the same color as the sweater was the word “babe” in cursive. Derek turned and hummed.

“When did Julian get that?” Derek asked.

Logan had the same question. It wasn’t like Julian to wear something a fan sent.

* * *

“What are you doing here?” Derek asked when he opened the door to see a sheepish Reed Van Kamp. Derek kept a hand on the bat they put by the door just in case. Reed wasn’t the type to do anything too wild but Derek couldn’t help to have his guard up when he saw the blue and yellow shield. Not when the sun was setting and the shadows were long.

Reed’s face colored and he kept his eyes trained on Derek’s chest when he extended his arms. In his hands was a canvas the size of Reed’s torso wrapped in brown paper. “It’s for Julian. A commission. I didn’t bring it to class. It’s a little big. I didn’t want to put it in danger.”

Derek narrowed his eyes and took the canvas with one hand. Reed raised both hands as he stepped back from the door. He stumbled down a step but caught himself before he took a full tumble. Derek closed the door. He heard Reed sigh.

He turned the wrapped canvas around. Most of the tape was on the back. Derek chuckled to himself. Either this was an elaborate phase one of a prank that the twins were concocting or this was Julian asking Reed to paint him like some noble in a period drama that Julian kept forcing them to watch. Derek didn’t bother checking. It wasn’t ticking so he figured it wasn’t too bad.

After a knock, he entered Julian’s room. Julian was looking out the window with an opened notebook on top his crossed legs. Julian pulled out his earphones when Derek he noticed.

“What’s that?’

“Your commission from Van Kamp,” Derek replied. He propped it against Julian’s bedframe.

“I…never commissioned him to do anything? I would’ve picked it up myself from Windsor,” Julian said. Derek took one step away from the canvas. Julian chortled. “Yeah, Reed Van Kamp, the known prankster, has figured out a way to make paintballs fly out of his paintings.” He walked up to it and picked it up.

“Wait!”

“D, it’s probably just a dumb picture to bruise our ego or whatever. I’ve seen worse of myself, trust me.” Julian found a corner and pulled. “I don’t know how they put Reed up to it but—” Julian stopped when the paper fluttered to the floor. This followed by a muted, gentle tap of folded paper hitting the wood. Derek’s gaze landed on the envelope first, then it flicked to the painting.

The piece didn’t cover the whole canvas. Paint faded along the edges. It was in shades of violet and blue and black. A landscape of some sort, or a galaxy. Derek couldn’t see. Julian’s body was covering most of it. Then Julian handed it over to him turned it around. Julian snatched the envelope from the floor. Derek took in the painting.

It was a view from the Hollywood sign. Above the H. The sun was a breath below the horizon and the lights were just appearing. The moon was a faint crescent lounged above the almost non-existent sun. It looked like a smile when Derek brought the painting closer to his face.

Julian took it from Derek’s hands. “Alright. Enough. Thanks for the delivery, delivery boy,” Julian said as he placed the painting against the door.

“Woah, wait, who’s it from?” Derek asked.

“From Reed, it’s a commission?” Julian replied as if he was speaking to Thad.

“Wh—” Derek huffed. “No. I know. Who commissioned it?”

“Someone.” Julian saluted Derek with the opened envelope. “Now go. I have a Hollywood related call in five minutes.”

Derek left in a confused huff.

* * *

This was ridiculous. Bailey felt ridiculous walking around, carrying what could be called a monstrosity, but he supposed he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Josh just had to send him a gift today and the person in charge of the mail figured he and Julian were classmate and asked for a favor. Bailey couldn’t say no. He didn’t think the cafeteria was that far until he had to walk to it with this.

His face was about as red as the lollipop bouquet he cradled. Everyone hooted and hollered after him when they saw it. Bailey never found himself mortified that often until he got this much solo attention. This was why he never trying to duel to sing lead. The attention got too him too quick. Unlike Julian, who lit up when he received the bouquet at the usual table he and his friends occupied.

“The fuck is that?” Derek asked.

“Cherry,” Julian replied, popping one of the candies in his mouth.

“You know what I mean,” Derek exclaimed.

Julian paid him no mind and sucked on the candy, waggling his head happily. “I’ve been craving it since this morning. Thanks, uh…?”

Bailey shook his head. “Not from me.”

“Ah.” Julian plucked an envelope buried in one area of the candy bouquet. “Thanks, Bailey. Get one if you want.” Julian extended the bundle. Bailey figured he might as well and took two. Julian smiled.

“Who’s it from?” Logan asked.

“I don’t know yet.” Julian stuffed the envelope inside his blazer. “I have a few guesses though.”

Logan and Derek began hounding him for more information. He began brushing it away with annoyingly adept nonchalance. Bailey walked away with his lollipops. Whatever was going on there was none of his business.

* * *

The gifts that were pouring in were driving Logan crazy. What drove him crazier was Julian’s coy evasiveness whenever he asked about them. What drove him craziest was Derek experiencing the same thing and having no information whatsoever. He couldn’t focus on anything other than the gifts that had begun to litter Julian’s room and the secretive smirks Julian had begun to litter his responses. His therapist told him to ask Julian, but he told them that Julian wasn’t responsive. Logan figured now was his chance.

“This isn’t a good idea,” Derek said when Logan unlocked Julian’s door. Julian was out to do some “business that is none of yours, you nosy bitch” and Logan had no idea when he was coming back. The sudden hesitation Derek infected him with burned through his blood and ignited something he’d rather not let boil.

Logan paused and closed his eyes. After counting to ten, he turned to Derek. “You asked me if I had a key to open Julian’s door.”

“Yeah, well, you could’ve talked me out of it!” Derek flapped his arms. “You could’ve said ‘curiosity killed the cat’ or something!”

“I did and you said ‘but satisfaction brought it back’ and now we’re here. Is it this hard to think with your brain and not with your dick for once?” Logan said through his teeth.

“Fuck you.”

Logan counted to fifteen this time. Then he opened the door with a final glare to Derek. Derek pushed his way past Logan and started scouring the gifts for clues. For what, exactly, Logan wasn’t sure. He didn’t think Derek knew what he was looking for either. All of them pointed towards Julian. Oversized sweaters and jackets. Cologne that reminded him of galas he was forced to attend. Discarded containers of sweets. Sunglasses of every shape, color, and size. Nothing to indicate who was sending them. He was so sure it was a fan and Julian even agreed that the person sending these was a fan but Logan has never, ever, seen Julian touting around fan-given items for more than a day, let alone keep it in his room as if he was building a shrine.

And the envelopes. The envelopes that Julian had always kept out of their grasps.

Logan began checking the drawers. “I already checked those,” Derek said from under Julian’s bed. “Go to his closet.” 

Just as Logan opened the closet and faced with a pile of sweaters that didn’t hang from that one bed post, the door swung open again. Logan froze. The rustling behind him stopped. Julian’s telltale giggle made him hold his breath.

“You impatient bastards. Didn’t I tell you to wait?” Julian said.

Logan moved from Julian’s open closet and Derek eased himself from under the bed. Julian pushed his sunglasses up his head. He placed the Starbucks on his desk and crossed his arms. He was more amused than upset, so Logan let the vice grip of anxiety around his chest to unfurl a little.

“Look,” Derek started. “It was driving us crazy and you were doing it for fun. I can’t fucking think. Can you just be out with it?” He ended with a groan.

“Yeah. I’ll be out of it.” He whistled at the door. Behind it, a tall (taller than Logan, which made Logan’s stomach rock with unease), young man stepped into view. With his elbow glued to his side, he waved. “Clark Sawyer, my idiots. Idiots, Clark Sawyer.”

“Pleasure. Sorry. I knew Julian was torturing you guys but I didn’t think it was this bad. I would’ve shown up sooner if I knew how bad it was.” Clark chuckled and held his hand out for a shake.

Logan didn’t like having to look up at Clark. “Hi? So…? You’ve been the one sending the gifts?”

“Yeah.” Clark wobbled from side to side after shaking Logan’s hand.

“But I saw underwear,” Derek said. He pointed at the floor behind Julian’s bed. Clark groaned and covered his face with both hands. He turned to Julian.

Julian grinned. He plucked one of the last cherry lollipops, unwrapped it, and put in his mouth. He stood by Clark. “Think about it…”

Logan looked over his shoulder to Derek. They came to the same realization. “Fuck,” they both said in unison.

“I really didn’t think this was the way you were introducing me to your best friends,” Clark said.

Julian shrugged. “Better for you to know they’re like this sooner rather than later.” He wrapped his arm around Clark’s and kicked his door close. “You have three minutes of unfiltered questions, starting now.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song I listened to on repeat while I wrote this:  
> Delicate by Taylor Swift
> 
> Also, on the boxer briefs that Derek found, it says "Fuck me like you hate me" in hot pink comic sans. Julian asked for it. Clark couldn't say no to him.


End file.
